Improvement in the manufacture of artificial stone



I06. COMPOSITIONS,

comma 0R Pusnc UNITED STATES JAMES L. ROWLAND, OF NEW YORK,

Q IIIIIISS REFERENBE PATENT OFFICE;

IMPROVEMENT INTHE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL STONE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 185,458, dated December19, 1876; application filed November 13, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. ROWLAND, of the city and county of NewYork, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in the Manufacture of- Artificial Stone; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, sufficient for those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to improve artificial stone, and thevarious articles which have been or may be made thereof, in respect todurability, strength,appearance, grain, texture, and wear; and to thisend the invention consists, first, in an artificial stone made offinely-pulverized quicklime, mixed with byd'raulic limes or cements, orof certain metallic bases, any one of which, by the reagents-water andcarbonic dioxide-may be reconverted into stone,molded into suitableforms, and artificially indurated; secondly, in the process of makingsuch artificial stone; and, lastly, in the application of such stone asa facing or surfacing for concrete blocks or other articles,substantially as I will now proceed to set forth.

In the manufacture of my improved artificial stone the important stepsare, first, the .selection and pulverization of the materials; secondly,the mixing and tempering of the stone paste or mortar ,tbirdly, themolding and pressing of the mortar into suitable forms; and, lastly, theinduration of the articles so molded and pressed.

In the selection of the materials I take any suitable quicklime andhydraulic lime, or any of the various calcareous or magnesian hydrauliccements, imported or native, as may,

be best adapted for the special article which it is designed to produce;The hydraulic limesand cements, if not sufficiently fine, are finelypulverized by grinding or any competent means, and are thoroughlyscreened, or otherwise treated, so as to remove all coarse particles orforeign substances, and leave nothing but fine dust or flour of cementor lime.

213g QEIIQELLIIITQIQIIQJJB slaked, and this should 66 d one msuc 'afiianner as to avoid using any excess of water above what is necessaryto reduce it a line powder, when it is also 'bined with one another,

passed through abolt ,or sieve in the same manner as the hydrauliclimes.

I prefer vapor of water, steam, or line spray for the purpose, as itenables me to control the application of the moisture to betteradvantage, and a lo dioxide may be com-o mingled with the vapor orsteam, if preferred.

The materials having been thus selected and prepared, thenext step is toproperly-mix and te'niper them in making the mortar, and this variessomewhat, according to the article to be made, and the color and qualityof stone to be produced. For example: from one to two parts of slakedquicklime or hydrate of lime, combined with four parts of Louisvillecement or hydrate of lime. Rosendale and Louisville cements, equal partsof each, coinmake a strong and but very simcompact stone of closertexture,

- ilar in other qualities and appearance to one composed wholly ofPortland cement; while, by varying the proportions of each, or by usinghydraulic limes or cements dilfering one from another in color andcomposition alone, or in combination two or more with one another,

or with hydrate of lime, and varying the pro portions of each,innumerable varieties of texture, quality, color, and appearance may beproduced, which it is impossible here to set forth, and which anyworkman must determine for himself, according to the requirements of thearticle he designs to produce. Also, the imported and native cements inequal parts of each, and otller proportions, combined or not withbydrate of lime, give efficient results, and make avery strong anddesirable stone. I may say here, however, that the quicklime, when used,

as described, in combination with some one or more of the hydrauliccements or limes, and

made a part of the composition of the stone,

has the effect to give the stone produced (the same as when made of htonand concrete .mixtures used in the manufactureof stone) a lighter shadeof color, to improve the grain, texture, and strength of the material,and to prevent surface checking or cracking, and also effiorescence. Italso serves, with the water, as a temperingmediuin for the material withwhich combined, improves the tempering of the mixture the same as itimproves the tem Examiner pering of concrete and bton mixtures when onthe floor for mixing'and tempering, suitable used in those, imparting toit a slippery .talcdyes or pigments, such as the metallic oxides, ousquality, by reason of which it may 'be for example, maybe employedimpart any more compactly pressed into the molds. For desired color orcolors to the article to be prothis purpose the hydrate of lime ispreferably dnced; but if used in the form of a powder,

mixed with the other'material or materials and not in solution,intermixed before water before adding the water. is added.

two or more are to be used in combination) and tempered, it is put intosuitable molds properly proportioned according to the efi'ect form therequired article or articles, and 18 required, they are then to bereduced to a mortherein compressed and compacted by any 'tar, and in thetempering of this mortar the form of press or suitable means, and withany main requirement is to impart to it a condirequired degree of force.The 311110 168 are tion and consistence adapting it to be most thenremoved from the molds and artificially compactly pressed while in themolds. To indurated by any suitable means, such, for this end any excessof moisture in .the mixexample, as by subjecting them to any of the ingand tempering must be carefully avoided indurating processes describedin my Letters on account of the incompressibility of free Patent No.109,669, dated November 29,1870; water, and its tendency to intervenebetween No. 128,980, dated July 1t i,1872; No. 137,322, the particles ofmortar, and prevent their perdated April 1, 1873, reissued January 12,fect union. 1875, No. 6,234, and again reissued Apr l 25, Any suitablemode of incorporating the 1876, No. 7,084; No. 149,682, dated April 14,water in the proper quantities with the other 1874; and No. 153,020,dated July 14, 1874, materials, to form and temper the mortar, or bycovering them from the suns rays and may be employed, as, for example,by the ap treating them daily with water 111 1112 form of plication ofvapor, steam, spray, or water in spray, or with water, saturated withcarbonic other forms. When vapor or steam is emdioxide. Theprocess ofmduratmgmaclosed ployed, suitable mechanical appliancesshould chamber,however, as described in several of be used for confining the materialswith the my said patents, gives the bestresults. moisture, andthoroughly commingling them. It will be observed that in the processabove For such purpose I find a hollow polygonal hordescribed no sand'orgravel is employed, nor izonta. rotating vessel for containing mortar,is any part of the material applied lugrams provided with aperforatedaxial pipe, or other or lumps, but in a fine or pulverized state. meansfor introducing the vapor or steam, The object of this isto enable thecarbonic and radial arms or stirrers, if desired, for agiacid ordioxide, subsequently applied, to unite rating the contained mass, to bea very eflichemically with each particle of lime reconc ent apparatus.When spray is to be used, vertible matter in the compound, thereby aconvenient mode of operation is to put the forming a compact stone,consisting, as nearly materials in a pile on a smooth water-tight aspossible, of homogeneous and uniform carilcor, dampen a partof the floornear the pile bonate matter,except so far as it may be modiby means of arose sprinkler, gradually and lied by the presence of the clayscontained in evenly rake the materials onto the dampened the cements.The selection, pulverization, portion of the floor, and collect themagain inand screening of the materials, and the care- 1 pile, sprinklingor spraying water evenly ful application of the water thereto, followedand in properly graduated quantities upon by the artificial induration,are all adapted to .1e mass while moving it; then immediately this end,and are all essential in practice to a rake it back, spraying watermeanwhile in perfectly-successful result. diminished quantities upon it,and then, with- A colorable variation of my process might, out furtherapplications of spray, thoroughly of course, be employed by introducingminute intermix it by raking or otherwise. In applyquantities of sand,which would not materially ing the water in any of these ways theworkaffect the result; but, so far as such sand man must determine whento cease the applimay be used, it will not subserve any useful cation ofthe moisture by his observation of purpose in the manufacture, and,therefore, the color and appearance of the mortar. So should bealtogether avoided and guarded long as -the moisture is insniiictcnt,the mass against. will exhibit a spotted or streaked appearance Thestone 'ortile produced as above doand an unevenness of shade or color;but at scribed possesses several very important adthe stage of treatmentwhen it has received vantages over other artificial stones hereto-SllfllUlQllt-IDOlStUI'B,iiWlIlllDlIIBLI-lBlQJQLQSQHUG "'i'ore produced,among which may be mena uniform shade of color and a curdling; aptionedits tenacity and durability, its fine pearance. and will manifest atendency to rig grain and close and homogeneous texture, gregate insmall lumps. The application of and the fact that its surface willneither glaze moisture should then be discontinued, and the and become,slippery, marble-like, vitreous, or inteimixing oi the materials proceeduntil metal-like by wear, nor, on the other hand, completed. will itscour and become scratched and rough, At any Stage: of the process,preferably but will take on a smooth and slate-like surwhen thematerials are placed in the vessel or face, due probably to the presenceof the al The materials having been selected, and (if- After the mortarhas been thus prepared Examine? l 106. COMPOSITIONS,

COATING 0R PLAS 'C cross REFERENCE 4 facingthe tile or other article,and I make the gillaceous materials in the cements when combined, infine dust, with the water and carbonic acid or dioxide, in the mannerdescribed, which especially fits the stone for pavements and othersimilar purposes, while by properly adapting the proportion of quicklimein the composition its capacity to receive a surfacepolish like marblemay be increased at will, which adapts it to the manufacture of mantels,wainscoting, and other articles where smoothnessor polish of surface maybe required.

For certain purposes the tiles or other articles made wholly of the finematerials herein described may be more expensive than is necessary, andfor other purposes the smoothness of surface and fineness of grain maynot enable the tile to adhere readily and tenacionsly to the bed or wallof which it is to form a part, or to the mortar or cement in which it isto be laid. In such cases I apply the fine material herein describedmerely to body or posterior side of the tile of coarser material, usingconcrete made of gravel or sand and mortar, or any of the knownconcretes, or coarse artificial-stone compositions for suchbody or back.In such case anadvantageous mode of procedure is as follows, viz: Havingprepared the fine mortar for the facing and the coarse concrete mortarfor the body or back, I spread lightly and evenly over the bottom of themold a quantity of the fine mortar snfiicient to form a substantiallayer or a facing of the required thickness, and then I put lightly andevenly in the mold, in contact with the upper surface of the finemortar, a quantity of the coarser mixture or concrete sumcfent to formthe body of the block intended. In the same manner, or withmodifications required by the different forms of articles ormanufactures to which the facing is applied, the materials are put intothe molds for reservoir-linings, or for forming water or gas surfaces.After the materials have been thus placed in the molds strongcompression is applied, and the two layers of different substancesthereby so intimately joined that, after the block or other manufacturehas been indurated, no separation of the two layers-is possible. h I

- I am aware that artificial-stone manufactures forva'rions purposeshave been made with a surface of finer and a back or body of coarsermaterial; and I am also aware that it is not new to make artificialstone of quicklime or hydraulic cements mixed with coarser materials,with which these substances form no chemical union. To these I lay noclaim nor do 1 claim the modes of indnrating, nor the modes oftempering, the materials, except in relation to the quicklime, which hasbeen described.

I claim as my invention- 1. An artificial stone composed of quicklime,or hydrate of lime, and a hydraulic lime or hydraulic cement, compressedinto molds and indnrated, as set forth.

2. An artificial .stone having a facing of quicklinie and hydraulic limeor cement, or of either alone, said facing being united to the body ofthe block, as set forth. 3. As an improvement in the manufacture ofartificial stone, the described process of mixing and tempering thematerialsviz., by pulverizing the hydraulic cements, adding thereto thehydrate of lime, likewise finely divided, and then moistening themixture, and finally compressing and indurating, as set forth.

4. The described process of forming the fac- I ing of lime or cement byfirst placing a layer of the fine material in the mold, and then fillingwith the coarser to form the body of the block or other article, andthen compressing, as and ibr the purposes set forth.

JAMES L; ROWLAND. Witnessesr JOHN RUSSELL, JAs. F. ROBINsON.

